Road surfacing machine



July 30, 1935. K. E. KRAMER ROAD SURFACING MACHINE Filed Nov. 7, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l w ////t//I QI INVEN TOR.

Nl 0 @fd/J 0% July 30, 1935. K- E. KRAMER l 2,009,500

ROAD SURFACING MACHINE Filed Nov. '7, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented July 30, 1935 ROAD sUaFAoING MACHINE Karl E. Kramer, Oelrichs, S. Dak. Application November" 7, 193s,V Serin No. 696,970

' 5 claims.' (c1. s1-10s) v 'I'hislinvention relates to road surfacing machines, its primary vobject being to provide amachine of simple construction which when pulled or otherwise impelled over the surface of a road,

' smooths the same by the elimination of depressions and by removal of projections'.`

The machine is particularly adapted to even the surface of a road which, by heavy travel or other causes, has been transversely corrugated, or on which by constant wear parts of the foundation or bed-rock have been exposed.

In the operation of the machine these corrugations which destroy the surface of the road to what is commonly known `as a lcorduroy or washboard condition arecut ydown and filled, while protruding rocksY are chipped off to the desired level.

Itis a further Aobject of the invention to produce v:the above `stated results by means of; a vehicle supported on runners or crawlertracks to move evenly .along the road to be planed, Without undue upward -or downward displacement, and which carries a cutting and breaking element in the form of a series of pivoted and weighted chiselsmounted for rotation about a-common axis.

Another object ofthe invention resides in the provision of means by which matter loosened by the action of the cutting and breaking element is evenly distributed .over the surfaceof the road, and still further objects reside in details of construction and in nov-el and advantageous arrangements and combinations Yof parts, as will be fully brought out in the course of the following description. y

In the accompanying drawings, in the several views of which like parts are similarly designated,

` Figure 1Y is a partiallyV sectional side elevation of a road surfacing machine embodying the distinctive features of the invention,

Figure 2 is a transverse section along the line '.2--2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section takenv on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, A

Figure 4 is an end View of the lower portion of the vehicle looking in the direction of the arrows 4-4 in Figure l, J

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the working portion of one of the chisels included in the cutting element of the machine,

Figure `6 is a side elevation of vthe machine, drawn to a smaller scale, showing the substitution of endless chains for the runners of the construe# tion illustrated in Figure 1,

Figure l is an end View of the machine shown in Figure 6, looking in the direction of the'arrows Figure f8 is a diagrammatic View illustrating the action of the cutting element inthe operation 4of' the machine, and f Figure '9, arfragmenta'ry side view, looking in th-e direction -of the arrows 9-8 in Figure 42. y

Referring rst to Figures 1 and l2 ofthe drawings, the machinecomprises a sled composed of parallel runners 5, preferably made of channel bars, suitably connected as'by -channelled cross bars 6. Mounted uponthe runners at the forward end of the vehicle are standards'l for bearings'in which the cutting mounted.

element of the machine is The bearingsare adjustable with relationv to their standards so that the cutting element ymay be adusted 4to conform with varying requirements in the operation yof the machine. y The cutting element comprises a shaft 9 mounted for rotation in the bear-ings andprovided 'with a `series of -collars l0 having radial, slotted lugs l 2 and xed on the shaft by pins i3 able fastening means.

or otherlsuit- Pivotally fastened in the slotted lugs by means ofpins -l4 are cuttin'gmernbers I5 in the' form of weighted chisels orhammers, the outer extremities of which are enlarged to provide heads i6 which during rotation of the shaft greatly increase by their impetus the force with which-the cutting members act -upon the work.

The heads of the hammers are recessed to receive tips til of case hardened chromo vanadium steel which constitute the bits -of the .-chisels', which in the operation out into the unevennesses or projections onthe road surface. 'f

The tips `I1 are fastened to the rhammer heads by bolts I8 so that they yare readily removed 'in case -of` wear or breakage.

The cutting velement is adjusted so that vthe endsof their arms move in a circle extending a short 'distance below the plane of the road-'engaging lower surfaces of the runners.A

road as indicated by the arrow '21.

The connection between the rotary cutting element and the motor may be established by means of 4pulleys 22 and 23, anda beltrZl.

It is to be understood, however,

tical the cutting or breaking element may be operated from a tractor used to pull the vehicle along the road.

A suitable clevis or apertured lug 25 is mounted at the forward end of the vehicle to attach a tow chain or other means by which the sled is connected to the tractor.

A housing 2B which is open at its bottom encloses the cutting or breaking element and projects rearwardly thereof. The housing is pivotally supported upon the runners at their rear ends asat 21; and screw bolts 28 in apertured lugs 29 on the sides of the housing at the for-y ward end of the same engage in threaded apertures of the runners in order to vary the elevation of the housing above the surface of the road by movement about its pivots.

At the forward end of the housing is'a hinged apron 30 which rides over the surface ofthe road,.

and around the bearings of the cutting element are openings 3| `for the admission of air to the interior of the housing.

The lowergedges of the sides-of the housing slant upwardly toward the rear end of the vehicle to provide a space 32 for the passage of loosened matter, andthe housing'tapers toward its rear end in orderto direct said matter4 to said space.

In Ythe operation of the machine, the cutting and breaking element is rotated in the direction of the arrows 20 at a high velocity of approximately 1500 revolutions per minute, thereby causing the weighted chisels to engage the surface of the road, three times per inch when the machine moves ata speed of three miles per hour.

The violent impact of the cutting edges of the rotating chisels, augmented by centrifugal force owing to their-,pivotal connections with the collars l on the shaft cutsdown the ridges or corrugations, such as shown at 33 in Figure 8, and lls the hollows Vbetween the ridges, and in case a protruding rock or stone is encountered as indicated at v34, the sharp cutting edges of the chisels will remove the projecting portion thereof by a chipping action until it is level with the surface of the road. j

Under most conditions it is desirable that the cutting elementbe rotated `in the same direction in which the vehicle is moved along the road, so that the cutting edges of the -chisels engage the obstructions to be removed in a forwardly and upwardly directed movement and by a chipping action without the obstructive resistance which would be encountered if the element were rotated in theropposite direction.

In addition to the above named advantages, the rotary movement of the cutting element in the direction of the movement of the vehicle greatly increasesrthe effect-of the cutting action and lessens wear on the cutting bits of the hammers.

The use of runners is also of more than ordinary importance, since it permits of the vehicle remaining on a level with the surface of the road instead ofmoving up or downwardly when .encountering obstructionsvin the road as would be the case if the vehicle were supported by wheels.

In this connection, itis to be understood that in leveling a road surface, the vehicle moves rst along an edge of the road where the surface is usually smooth and not roughenedby travel, while subsequently it moves over leveled portions of the road surface, so that the runners constantly engage with a level part of the road and V'thereby maintain. the vehicle on an even Vkeel throughout the operation. l

The rapid rotary movement of the cutting or breaking element causes air to be drawn into the housing through the openings 3|, in currents directed downwardly to the surface of the road and to and through the space 32 at the rear end of the machine. The air currents distribute the matter loosened by the cutting element evenly over the surface of the road, so that under ordinary conditions no further operation is required to bring the surface to a smooth and even condition. The apron 30 closes the front of the housing to prevent the escape of air at that point, while its hinged connection permits its move- 4ment across unevennesses or obstruction on the road.

.A hinged door 35 at the top of the housing affords access to its interior.

vIn the modified construction, illustrated in Fig- .jures'6 and 7 of thedrawings, endless track chains 36supported on wheels 31 are substituted for the runners of the vehicle shown in Figure 1.

, The crawler tracks thus providedare'ofA particular value where the machine is used in surfacing exceptionally rough roads, otherwise the operation of the machine is the same as hereinbefore described.

Having thus described my road surfacing machine, it is to be understood that variations in details of construction and ther arrangement of the elements and parts comprised therein may be made without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A road surfacing machine comprising a housing supported for its movement over the surface of a road in a given direction, the housing being closed at its forward end with relation to said direction of movement, and being spaced from the surface of the road at its opposite end, anda rotary cutting element in the housing engaging with the surface of the road, the housing having an opening for the intake of air by'rotation of the element.

2. AV road surfacing machine comprising a housing supported for itsmOVement over the surface of a road ina given direction, the housing being closed at its forward end with relation to said direction of movement, and being spaced from the surface of the road at its opposite end, and a rotary cutting element in the housing engaging with the surface of the road, the housing having'an opening for the intake of air by rotation of the element, and the housing` tapering rearwardly to direct currents of indrawn air to and through the space -at its rear end.

3. A road surfacing machine comprising a housing supported for its movement over the surface of a road in a given direction, the housing having at its forward end, with relation to said direction of movement, a hinged apron closing the' housing at'said end by engagement with the surface of the road, and the housing being spaced from the surface of the road at its opposite end, and a rotary cutting element in the housing engaging with the surface ofthe road, the housing having an opening for the intake of air by rotation of the element. l

4. A road surfacing machine comprising a housing supported for its movement over the surface of a road in a given direction,v therhousing being closed at its forward end with relation to said direction of movement, and being spaced from the surface of the road at its opposite end,

a rotary cutting elementlinthehousing. engag- 10 being closed at its forward end with relation to said direction of movement, and being spaced from the surface of the road at its opposite end, and a. rotary cutting element in the housing engaging with the surface 'of the road, the housing l having an opening for the intake of air by rotation of the element, and the housing being adjustable to vary the width of the space between its rear end and the surface of the road.

KARL E. KRAMER. 10 

